Chicken Etiquette | Classy Chicken

Although I do have another couple of cookie recipes that I want to share (and still might try to squeeze in before Christmas), I thought I better share something different and give your sweet tooths (teeth?) a break! This casserole is quick and yummy, and great for a quick dinner during the holiday season.

How to turn your chicken into a classy bird: Classy Chicken. This recipe is SO tasty and SO easy – definitely one of the most simple and delicious chicken dinners you can throw together quickly. I have made this recipe many times since it was introduced to me by a family friend, and it has never disappointed. The slight note of curry gives it some dimension, and the cream of chicken soup lends lots of flavor.

Do me a favor though and please do not use the low-fat cream of chicken soup or fat-free mayonnaise! I have tried this tactic before and it just does not lead to a dish quite as delicious as using the higher-fat alternatives. You can spare the extra calories for this dish, just trust me.

This dish is also great for sharing with a friend. If someone in your life is going through a bit of a rough time, why not take the task of making dinner off their hands? Prepare the dish up until the baking point, cover it with foil, attach baking instructions, and drop it off at their place. Include some rice if you so desire. Wouldn’t that be a nice delivery? “It’s not delivery, it’s Classy Chicken!” 😀

PS. Aren’t you just incredibly jealous of the awful lighting in these photos? Argh. My kitchen is a cave! Oh well, it doesn’t stop me from enjoying all of this food.

PPS. You can also whip this up the night before. Dinner will be a snap – get home from work/school/whatever, throw this bad boy in the oven, put on a pot of rice, and 30 minutes later dinner will be ready!

Classy Chicken (from The Best of the Best, vol. 1)

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Fresh ground pepper to taste

3 TBSP. oil

1-10 ounce package of frozen asparagus or broccoli (I always make this with a whole head of fresh broccoli)

1 can of cream of chicken soup (NOT low-fat)

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (NOT fat-free)

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Sprinkle the bite-sized chicken pieces with freshly ground black pepper. Saute quickly in olive oil over medium heat just until opaque. Don’t overcook or the chicken will get tough! Drain. Cook the broccoli (or asparagus) until crunchy. I usually steam my broccoli just until it turns bright green. Drain the broccoli and arrange it in the bottom of a buttered casserole. Place the chicken on top. Mix together the soup, mayonnaise, curry, and lemon juice and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Serve alone, or over rice. Happy eating!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner! | Chicken Pot Pie.

With the colder weather over the past few days (hello Winter!), I was craving something hearty and warm for dinner last night. I came across this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie, from Ina Garten (also known as Barefoot Contessa). I have a complete fear of pastry, and have never, ever in my life attempted to make a pie crust from scratch. What better way to start the new venture of a blog than by attempting to conquer a culinary fear? Call me crazy, but this recipe was therapy. The finished product was incredible, resulting in some oohs and aahs in the lunchroom at work today when I brought leftovers. A few shared tastes led to further compliments and requests for the recipe. Here it is ladies! These pot pies would also make a fabulous meal for guests, as the individual servings make for quite a delightful presentation. Imagine being able to dig in to your own little pie, made just for you! Either way, give these a try, you won’t regret it. Happy eating!

Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from Ina Garten)

6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 TBSP. olive oil

Salt and pepper (preferably sea salt and freshly ground pepper)

5 cups chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 tsp. of bouillon powder)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups of chopped yellow onions

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup half & half cream (or heavy cream if you like it really rich)

2 cups medium-diced carrots

2 cups frozen peas

Glug of white wine (optional)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 TBSP. water, for egg wash

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Throw in the diced chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the chicken is cooked through, set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick (this will only take a couple of minutes). Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, parsley, and the white wine, if you’re using it. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the butter is the size of peas. Slowly add in the ice water; you only want to add enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes (or you can make it a day in advance).

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls (I think it would work equally well to make two large pies, if that is your preference – I only had one ovenproof small bowl, so I made one small and one very large). Divide the dough into quarters (or in half if making two large pies), and then roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with the egg wash and make 3 slits in the top with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Then try not to burn yourself as you proceed to start shoveling this goodness into your mouth. Enjoy!

%d bloggers like this: